Management-445: Homework Assignments
Winter 2020
In the meantime, I’ve opened the fourth and final homework assignment so you can take a look and see what’s expected, even though this is not due for a couple of weeks. This last homework is different from the rest. You will be watching one movie and discussing relevant MGMT-445 course content. You ought to wait until you’ve read chapters 10, 11, 13, and 14 before you attempt this assignment…..
Link to real-world events and people. Shows that you understand what you are talking about.
Overview: The assignments are related to selected chapters in the textbook and give you the opportunity to use selected concepts, themes, and arguments from Jones in an analysis of a situation that you know about based on your experience working in a particular organization (either as an employee or as a volunteer). This means that someone else’s account of the situation for example, in a magazine, article, blog, or other media source – is not an acceptable source for the assignment. To receive full credit on the assignments, use appropriate frameworks/themes/vocabulary from the textbook.
Written Reflections: You must work individually and independently of the other students in preparing the individual reflection. The reflection should be typed, written in essay form, approximately 1000 words. Submit your typed work to the d2l assignment dropbox by the specified due date and time. Provide a word count on each document you turn in.
Cite Jones for ideas taken directly from the text, providing page-number citations in your text in the following form: (Jones, p. xx). You may quote Jones, if appropriate, but keep such quotations brief – and provide page-number citation in the same fashion.
Evaluation: Your written reflections will be scored based on compliance with the instructions; organization and clarity in your writing; the use of concepts, themes, vocabulary, and arguments from Jones, and your ability to link course content to real-world events. Refer to the syllabus and/or the calendar on d2l for due dates.
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Assignment 4: Observations on Organizational Change (Chapters 10, 11, 13, and 14)
View and analyze one of the following movies:
Moneyball (2011), rated PG
Up in the Air (2009), rated R
Outsourced (2006), rated PG-13
Office Space (1999), rated R
Type up a reflection that provides a description of the change event in question. Explain why this event took place. Then characterize the challenges that the change posed to the individuals involved and for the organization as a whole. This characterization should draw explicitly on relevant material in at least two of Jones’ chapters 10, 11, 13, and/or 14. You will need to decide what concepts themes, and arguments in Jones are helpful in interpreting the change situation you are exploring.
Cite Jones for ideas taken directly from the text, providing page-number citations in your text in the following form: (Jones, p. xx). You may quote Jones, if appropriate, but keep such quotations brief – and provide page-number citation in the same fashion. Provide a word count.
Consider the following:
- Your analysis will need to carefully isolate the organizational change story from other, potentially distracting, themes developed in the film, which might include romantic developments, personal growth, or getting cheap laughs.
- Watch the movie you have chosen at your own risk. Some of the films contain language, humor and/or sexual situations that you might find offensive. For each movie, you can consult the “Parents Guide” at www.imdb.com for detailed information on potentially offensive elements. After bringing up the page for the movie in question, scroll down and click on the link that reads, “View content advisory.”
- Avoid the temptation of retelling the movie’s entire plot in your report. The assignment’s word limit will not allow for it, nor will doing so be relevant. This is not a book report; this is a critical analysis and application of course content. Focus on the aspects related to organizational change only.